


One Good Deed

by donsboy



Category: Starsky & Hutch
Genre: Curiosity, Injury, Jealousy, M/M, New Beginnings, Suspicion, a touch of angst, helping a stranger
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-13
Updated: 2019-08-13
Packaged: 2020-08-20 09:22:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20225518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/donsboy/pseuds/donsboy
Summary: The guys help a complete stranger, and Hutch gets jealous.





	One Good Deed

“Another beer, babe?”

“Nah, I'm good....” Hutch gathered their plates and took them to the kitchen. While Hutch was puttering around in the kitchen, Starsky was enjoying what was left of the sunset on the back deck. He was getting up to go inside when he noticed a guy staggering along the sand. As he watched, he saw the guy fall just inside their property line. When the guy didn't get up, Starsky yelled for Hutch to come quick. Hutch came running out to the deck wanting to know what was going on. Starsky pointed out the guy on the beach, and the two ran down the steps to see.

When they reached the guy, Hutch saw that he was passed out. Starsky checked him out and saw that he had been beaten badly, and that his right ankle was definitely broken because of the angle his foot was laying. The guy was tall, slightly muscular with sandy brown hair. Hutch told Starsky to help him, and they carried the guy up to the deck and lay him down while Starsky went into the house to get some blankets. Starsky got the guy to come around, and asked him a few questions.....

“What's your name?”

“My name is Todd Barrett.... who are you?”

“My name is Dave Starsky, and this is my partner Ken Hutchinson..... can you tell us what happened?”

“I was on a party boat with some friends, things got rough, and I got tossed over the side.....” Todd tried to sit up and winced as pain flared in his ankle.....

“Don't try to move that leg..... your ankle is broken......”

Hutch had gone into the house and brought back a pair of crutches saying;”Starsk, let's see if we can get Todd up so we can get him to the hospital to see about that ankle.....”

“Good idea..... you think you can make it, Todd?”

“I'll try......”

The guys managed to get Todd into a sitting position and standing upright. Hutch helped him with the crutches, and they were moving into the house. Hutch went to get the car while Starsky helped Todd down the front steps. With some effort, the guys got Todd in the car and they headed for the hospital. When they arrived, Hutch was glad to see that Candy Watson was on duty. He and Starsky knew Candy from all the years being injured on the job, and Hutch knew that Todd would be in good hands.....

“Hey, Candy.....”

“Hutch! How are you?”

“Good...... who's the doctor on duty tonight?”

“Richard Spellman..... is everything okay?”

“Everything's fine.... a buddy needs some attention.....”

“What happened?”

“He got in a fight, and it looks like he has a broken ankle....”

Candy went to the nurse's station and grabbed a wheelchair. She saw Starsky and Todd and headed toward them, telling Todd to sit in the chair. Starsky took the crutches and Candy headed down the hall with Todd. Starsk and Hutch settled down to wait, and while they were waiting, they discussed Todd.....

“Well, what do you think, Hutch?”

“About Todd?”

“Yeah....”

“I'm not sure yet...... we know next to nothing about him.....”

“I know, but he seems like an okay guy.....”

“I suppose..... what are you thinking, Starsk?”

“Well, he's gonna need a place to stay, especially with that broken ankle, and.....”

“You want him to stay with us.....”

“If it's okay with you.....”

“Starsk, let's find out what the doctor says, and we ask Todd a few more questions before we decide.....”

“Okay, babe..... that's what we'll do.....”

Two hours later, Candy came back pushing Todd in a wheelchair, his bad leg straight out in front of him in a cast.....

“What's the word, Candy?”

“You guys were right about the ankle. He has three stitches in the cut on his forehead, and some minor bruises. Dr. Spellman wasn't able to prescribe pain meds because your friend has a lot of medication allergies. He told him to take Tylenol for the pain, and wants to see him back in three weeks......”

“Thanks, Candy..... we really appreciate it....”

“No worries..... good to see you guys again.... I've got to get back to work.....”

“See ya, Candy...... ready to go, Todd?”

“Definitely!”

Hutch brought the car around, and Starsky helped Todd into the car. When they got back to the house, Starsky helped Todd to the couch while Hutch brought water for Todd and a beer for him and Starsky. Todd looked at both Starsky and Hutch and said; “Okay, guys, what do you want to know?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, since you guys don't know anything about me, I figure you must be curious....”

“We are.... are you from around here?” asked Starsky

“Originally, no. I'm from Texas. I came out here two years ago.....”

“Did you come alone?”

“Yeah.... I always wanted to see California..... and given my current situation, I guess I've seen more that I wanted to.....”

“How did you end up in the shape you're in now?” Hutch asked.

“Well, soon after I got there, I fell in with the so-called party crowd. Lots of parties, lots of booze, stuff like that, but no drugs. That was one thing I absolutely refused to get messed up with. I had a really good time in the beginning, but things went to hell pretty quick, and I wanted out.....”

“I don't understand....”said Starsky

Todd contemplated how much to tell Dave and Ken. They seemed to be nice men, and he didn't want them to think too badly of him. Keeping that in mind, he decided to tell them the truth......

“I did something I wasn't proud of, and I'm still not proud of it. A so-called friend talked me into being a male escort. I didn't want to, but the money was great. I only went on a few dates and decided it wasn't for me. Tonight was the end because I refused to do more than I was getting paid for. Things got heated, and rough, and I got the hell beat out of me and thrown off the boat. The rest you guys know......”

Hutch had been watching Todd the whole time he'd been talking. He could tell Todd was being honest because of his body language and the emotions that ran across his face. Starsky had sensed this too. After all their years as cops, they had what Hutch had called “excellent bullshit detectors”. So far Todd seemed to be on the up and up. Hutch asked Todd when he'd eaten last, and Todd told him that there had been a buffet on the boat and that he had eaten then. Hutch asked if he'd like a snack, and Todd said he would. Hutch made a sandwich and brought it over to the couch. Starsky caught Hutch's eye and nodded his head toward the stairs. The two men excused themselves while Todd ate.

“What's on your mind, Starsk?”

“Well, I was just thinkin' that since Todd had a run of bad luck that maybe he could stay with us, at least until he can get on his feet. Hutch, I think he's telling the truth about what happened..... what do you think?”

“I agree with you about him telling the truth. He's certainly had a bad time, and he does need our help. What say we give it a trial run and go from there?”

Starsky leaned in and kissed his partner and said; “I always did say that you were the brains of the outfit....” Hutch smiled and told Starsky that there needed to be a few ground rules laid out and Starsky agreed. They two went back downstairs to let Todd know he could stay, and found him frantically trying to get up off the couch. Hutch rushed over and asked Todd what was wrong, and Todd stated that he could not find his wallet. He said that it was important that he find it because his ID was in there and there was also over a thousand dollars in there, too. Starsky went out to look on the back deck, and found Todd's wallet on the steps leading to the beach. He took it back inside and gave it to Todd, who was extremely grateful that Starsky found it.

Once Todd had calmed down, Hutch told him that he and Starsky wanted to talk to him. Curious, Todd gave them his full attention.....

“We've talked it over, and we've decided to let you stay here at least until you can get on your feet, so to speak.....”

“Really? You guys just don't know how much I appreciate this..... thank you both.....”

“There will be some ground rule which we'll get into later.....”

“I don't mind having ground rules.....”

“That's a good thing, then.... while Dave and I are working, one of us will call and check on you to see how you are doing, and to see if we need to bring anything home for you....”

“That will be okay.... by the way, what do you guys do?”

“We have landscaping business and plant shop. Dave works at the plant shop, and I go out with the landscaping crews.....”

“Only because he's a control freak, and thinks no one can follow instructions...”laughed Starsky.

Hutch smiled and said; “That's enough out of you, Gordo!” Starsky noticed that Todd was fidgeting around trying to get the crutches at the end of the couch. He asked Todd what he needed, and Todd replied that he really needed to use the bathroom. Starsky helped him up and showed him to the bathroom while Hutch went to the spare bedroom and got the bed ready. It was getting late, and Hutch knew that Todd must be tired. Besides, he and Starsky had to be at work early, so he figured they all needed to get to bed.

When Todd emerged from the bathroom, Hutch showed him to the guest room. He asked Todd if he needed anything, and when Todd said no, Hutch bid him goodnight and went upstairs.....

Starsky was in bed propped up on the headboard waiting for Hutch to undress and get into bed. Once there, Hutch pulled Starsky close to him and asked; “What's on your mind?”

“Nothin' really, just thinking about our new house guest.....”

“What about him?”

“I really like him so far.... he seems like good people.... what do you think?”

“He seems nice enough..... just a regular guy who's had a run of bad luck.....”

“So you really are okay with him staying with us?”

“If I wasn't, I would have said so..... now turn the lamp off so we can get some sleep. We've got work tomorrow, you know?”

Starsky kissed Hutch good night, turned out the lamp, and the guys soon were asleep..........

The next morning, Hutch was up early getting ready to go for a jog. Starky was still asleep, and so Hutch decided to go downstairs and check on Todd. The guest room door was still closed, so Hutch went out the back door and down the steps to the beach. Back at the house, Todd came awake confused about where he was. He took a good look around and remembered that he was at Ken and Dave's place. He winced when he tried to move his bad leg, and the events of the previous evening came back in full force. His bladder was full,so he got the crutches and went to the bathroom. When he finished, he went to the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. While he was waiting for the coffee to finish, he looked in the fridge to see if there was makings for breakfast. He found what he was looking for and started cooking.

Starsky awoke to the aroma of fresh coffee and food cooking. He pulled on a pair of sweats and headed downstairs. He saw Todd at the stove with his bad leg bent at the knee resting on a chair while scrambling eggs. When Todd heard Starsky walk in, he told him that the coffee was ready and that breakfast would be done shortly. Starsky sat down with his coffee and asked how Todd was feeling. Todd replied that he slept through the night, but the ankle was starting to throb a bit. About that time Hutch came in from his run and walked through the house to find Starsky at the table and Todd cooking. Hutch went to the fridge and got the makings out for his morning health shake. Todd asked what Hutch was making and Starsky laughed and replied; “You really don't wanna know....”

After breakfast, Starsky told Todd he was a pretty good cook and headed off to shower before work. Hutch helped with the clean up and asked Todd if he would be okay while he and Starsky were gone. Todd said he would, and Hutch gave him the number of their shop so he could call just in case. Todd asked Hutch if he could please pick up a large bottle of Tylenol on his way home because he only had enough left to get through the afternoon. He gave Hutch some money to cover the medication and Hutch went upstairs to get ready for work so he wouldn't be late. After the guys left for work, Todd went back to his room and lay down on the bed. His ankle was bothering him, and he took more Tylenol to ease the pain and soon drifted off to sleep.

When Starsky and Hutch arrived home that evening, they were met at the door with some very tantalizing aromas. When they walked in, Todd was at the stove with his leg folded on a chair, tending to the food.......  
“Hey, guys.....”

“Hey, Todd.... what smells so good?”

“Just a little something I whipped up for supper. I thought you guys might enjoy not having to cook when you got home.....”

“So what is it?”

“Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, and tossed salad.....”

Starsky walked over to the stove and was practically drooling all over the place. Hutch grinned at his partner and said; “Todd, this looks great. I got your Tylenol for you....”

“Thanks, Ken.... would you mind opening the bottle for me and getting a couple of pills out?”

Hutch did as Todd asked, and then he asked about Todd's leg.....

“It will be better now that I have something to take for it. I took my last two pills early this afternoon, and they've already started to wear off.....”

“Is it bad?”

“Getting there.....”

“You shouldn't have gone to all the trouble of cooking dinner..... we could have done that when we got home....”

“I was bored, and trying to earn my keep.....”

“That's not really necessary.....”

“It is to me.... I want to do my part while I'm here...... I was thinking I could clean, do laundry.....simple things that you and Dave wouldn't have to worry about after working all day......”

“That would really be appreciated, but we wouldn't want you to overexert yourself with that bad ankle....”

“If it gets too bad, I'll stop and rest for awhile....”

Hutch smiled, thinking that Todd was hard-headed just like Starsk. Hutch set the table, and Starsky brought the food, saying; “Let's eat!”

After dinner was finished, and the dishes done, they guys went out onto the back deck to enjoy the late evening. They sat and talked about everything and nothing. Starsky and Hutch told Todd about their years on the force, and Todd told them about living in a small Texas town. Before they decided to go in for the night, Todd asked Ken if he or Dave could pick up some things he needed after work the next day. When Hutch asked what he needed, Todd told him he really needed some clothes, and toiletries. Hutch told him to make out a list with his sizes and whatever he needed and give it to him the next morning.....

When Todd woke up the next morning, he went to the kitchen to start the coffee and breakfast. When Starsky and Hutch came downstairs, breakfast was ready, and Todd gave Hutch his list and went to his room to get some money for his purchases. Starsky asked Todd if anything was needed from the grocery store, and he made a quick list and gave it to Starsky. Todd told Hutch to use some of the money left over from his clothes to help out with the groceries. After the guys left for work, Todd cleaned the kitchen , living room, downstairs bath, and his room. He was tired when he finished, and lay down for a nap. As he lay there, he wondered what he was gonna do when the doctor decided his leg was well. He appreciated Ken and Dave's hospitality very much, but knew that he couldn't stay there forever. They had been very kind to him, and he didn't want to wear out his welcome. He hoped the doctor would have good news for him when he went for his exam.

Later, when the guys came home from work, Todd had dinner ready. Starsky and Hutch brought the groceries in, and while Todd was putting them away, the guys started fixing their plates. Starsky explained that they had both missed lunch that day and were starved. After dinner, Hutch went downstairs and got the things Todd had asked for from the Torino. When Todd went to try the clothes on, he was pleased that everything fit. He went to the living room to model one of the outfits, and told Hutch that he did a great job in picking out his clothes. He thanked him and started for his room. Hutch called to him and said that he had his change from his purchases. Todd asked if they had taken out for his share of the groceries, and Hutch said they had. Hutch gave Todd the change, and Todd gave Hutch twenty dollars for gas for running the errands for him.

Todd noticed that both Ken and Dave seemed to be a bit preoccupied with each other, and he thought that the guys wanted some 'alone time'. He went to his room and shut the door, and when he heard the soft 'click' of the door that led upstairs being closed, he knew he right. Soon after, he finished the chapter he was reading in his book, turned out the light and went to sleep. Later, after the boys had enjoyed each other thoroughly, they lay talking in the darkness.....

“Hutch?”

“Yeah?”

“How much longer does Todd have before he sees the doctor?”

“His appointment is next week..... Thursday, I think.... why?”

“I was thinkin' that if the doctor checks him out and he can have a walkin' cast that maybe he could come down and help at the shop a couple days a week.....”

“What made you think of that, Starsk?”

“Well, he's cooped up here all this time, and I thought maybe he might like a change of scenery.....”

“It's true he hasn't been out of the house since we brought him home from the hospital, but you gotta admit, he makes a hell of a housekeeper.....”

“That is true” Starsky agreed.....

“You know, though, having him help out at the shop isn't a bad idea, Starsk.....”

“You think it'll be okay, babe?”

“Don't see what it could hurt..... now, how about we get some shut-eye so we can go to work in the morning?”

“Sounds like a plan!”

“Hey, Starsk?”

“Yeah, Blondie?”

“Let's not mention this to Todd until after he hears what the doctor has to say.....”

“Okay, babe.....”

The next day started as it always did, and after the guys left, Todd started on his chores for the day. He was thinking about how he wanted to go to the park, but knew he had to make do with sitting on the back deck. He wished that Ken and Dave were around more, but he fully understood that they had the business to look after, and many other things that needed their attention more than he did. He finished his chores and took a glass of tea with him out on the deck, just glad to be out of the house for awhile. He knew that Ken and Dave would take him to the park if he asked, but he didn't want to be a bother. He was hoping he would get a good report from the doctor regarding his ankle, and would put him in a walking cast. That would make getting around so much easier.

As he sat there enjoying the warm breeze, Todd thought about Ken and Dave. They were really great guys, and he was glad they took him in the way the did. Ken was a good enough guy, just a bit reserved. Starsky, on the other hand, was a riot. He always had a funny line, or some really old joke to tell, and Todd knew that he and Ken were crazy about each other. That was evident in the way they looked at each other, touched each other, and talked to each other. Todd was glad to call them his friends, and was thankful for everything they had done for him.

A few days later, Todd was up early getting breakfast ready for everyone because his appointment with the doctor was that morning at 10:00. Dave was going to drive him to his appointment, and Ken wanted them to stop by the shop to let him know what the doctor's prognosis was. The whole stopping by the shop thing was because Hutch knew that Todd must be ready to climb the walls from having to stay at the house all the time. He thought the outing might do Todd some good, and make him feel a bit better.

Starsky arrived at the house to pick Todd up for his appointment. Todd was waiting, and they headed to the hospital. When they arrived, Starsky got a wheelchair for Todd and they headed for Dr. Spellman's office. Starsky sat in the waiting room reading a magazine while Todd was in with the doctor. Dr. Spellman asked Todd if he'd been staying off the ankle, and Todd lied and said that he had. Laurie Phillips took Todd down to x-ray where several films of his ankle were taken. When that was finished, Todd found himself back in the doctor's office while he checked the x-rays.....

“What's verdict, Doc?”

“The ankle looks good, Todd..... so much so that I thing you are ready for a walking cast.....”

Tod was pleased beyond words. This was the exact news he was hoping for. Dr. Spellman took the old cast of, and before he knew it, the new cast was on. The doctor gave him instructions abut not getting it wet, etc.... and Todd promised he would follow his instructions to the letter. Dr. Spellman told him that if he had any problems to call his office immediately. When Todd was ready to leave, he walked out into the waiting room to be met by an enthusiastic Starsky.....

“So how does it feel, buddy?”

“Strange.....”

“I'll bet, but I bet it won't take long to get used to it.....”

“I don't think it will..... are we going by to see Ken at the shop?”

“You better believe it! He'd have my ass in a sling if we didn't stop by.....”

“The I guess you'd better do what he said.....”

The two laughed and headed for the Torino, laughing and joking. When they pulled up at the shop, Todd got out and walked inside on his own. Hutch saw him come in and walked over to where he stood, grinning like a proud parent......

“So, I take it everything is on the mend?”

“It sure is! I was so glad that the doctor took that big cast off and gave me this one. Now I can get around a hell of lot better.....”

“Well, it's good to see you up and about.....”

“It feels great.... now maybe I can get out of the house a bit.....”

Starsky walked up just in time to hear Todd make the remark about getting out of the house more. He cast a glance at Hutch as if asking permission to give Todd his surprise. Hutch subtly nodded his head and Starsky began to speak.....

“Todd, Hutch and I have a surprise for you.....”

“What would that be, Dave?”

“We've been talking about it, and we decided that we could use somebody around the shop a couple days a week, and we wanted to know if you'd be interested......”

“I would definitely be interested..... when do I start?”

“You can start on Monday. Starsky will show you what you need to know, and answer any questions you might have......”

“Ken, Dave, I can't thank you enough..... this really means a lot to me.....”

“But you're still gonna keep house for us, aren't you?”

“Yes, Dave, I'm still going to keep house for the two of you.....”

“Good! Because I was dreading having to doing chores again.....”

The three men laughed and Hutch asked Starsky to take Todd home because they had plenty to do at the shop. When they got to the car, Todd asked Starsky to stop at the market so he could get something to prepare for supper. After the market, Starsky dropped Todd at the house and said he would see him later. Todd went inside, put the food away and lay down for a quick nap as the day's excitement had tired him out a bit.

Later that day, Todd got started on his celebratory feast. He made enchiladas, re-fried beans, Spanish rice, and a pitcher of margaritas. He also made a batch of vegetarian tacos for Hutch, making sure there was something Hutch would like to eat, also. When he got everything ready, it was close to time for Ken and Dave to be home so his timing was perfect. As soon as the guys came in, Todd knew something was wrong. Hutch never said anything to Todd, he just headed upstairs. Starsky asked for a beer, and took it out on the back deck, closing the door behind him. Todd stood in the kitchen wondering just what was going on, but decided not to pry because it most likely didn't have anything to do with him anyway. He dumped the food in the trash, cleaned the kitchen, and went to his room.

The next morning, Todd had breakfast on the table as usual. Hutch came in after his run and had his shake, and when Starsky came in, Todd had his pancakes ready for him. While they were all in the kitchen, Starksy asked about the Mexican feast that had been spread on the table when they came in. Todd explained that it was supposed to have been his celebratory dinner for getting a good report from the doctor. Starsky asked if there were any left-overs, and Todd shook his head sadly, saying that the guys didn't seem to be in very good moods the night before so he threw the food away and went to bed. Hutch, sensing that Todd was more upset than he was letting on, asked if he and Starsky could make it up to him by taking him out to dinner on Friday. Todd told him not to go to any trouble on his account and went to his room.

Hutch turned to look at Starsky and said; “I guess I deserved that, huh?”

“Why do you say that, babe?”

“Because it never entered my mind that Todd might want to celebrate..... I guess I was too busy being angry at you.....”

“ I noticed the food, but I didn't know it was some sort of celebration. All I was worried about was grabbing beer and going out on the back deck.....”

“Starsk, I really want to make this up to Todd because he didn't deserve our bullshit to ruin his dinner.....”

“I think that's a good idea.... I'll talk to him this afternoon.....”

Hutch walked over to the table and kissed Starsky. “Do you think I should go talk to him before we leave?” Hutch asked.

“Probably not..... he seemed pretty upset. How about I call him after I get the shop open?”

“That sounds like a good idea.... c'mon, babe, we gotta get moving.....”

The guys gathered their things and headed out the door. Todd came out of his room shortly after Starsky and Hutch left and started cleaning the kitchen. His encounter with Hutch earlier had hurt his feelings, but he decided not to make a big thing out of it. Later that morning, Starsky called to try and apologize for Hutch and his attitude earlier. Todd was cool to Starsky, but said that he accepted the apology. Before Starsky could say anything else, Todd ended the call to finish the laundry. When Hutch stopped the shop to eat lunch, he asked Starsky if he'd talked to Todd. Starsky said he had, and told Hutch about Todd hanging up on him after accepting the apology. Hutch was a bit shocked because Todd had never caught an attitude in the short time he'd known him, and he really didn't understand why he was doing so now.

That afternoon when Starsky and Hutch came home, dinner was waiting for them as usual, but Todd wasn't in the kitchen. Starsky called out to him but got only silence in reply. He decided to go looking for Todd, and found him in his room. He went in and sat down on the end of the bed and asked if Todd was okay......

“I guess I'm alright, Dave.....”

“Hutch and I are really sorry about yesterday. If we had known, we could have checked out attitudes at the door.....”

“It's my fault for not saying anything..... let's just forget about it, huh?”

“I understand..... are you going to eat dinner with us?”

“Maybe..... you two go ahead and start without me..... I'll be in later.....”

Starsky got up and headed to the door. He turned around as if to say something else, but left the room instead. When he got to the kitchen, Hutch was sitting at the table drinking a beer. “So how did it go?; he asked.

“He's pretty shaken up, but I think he'll be okay.....”

“He's still pretty upset?”

“Yeah.... he says it's his fault for not saying anything about a special dinner. And that he wants to just forget it. I asked him if he was going to eat with us, but he said to start without him.....”

“Starsk, do you think I should talk to him?”

“I honestly think he's a little intimidated by you..... let's just let it ride and go from there....”

Hutch started serving the food, and he and Starsky sat down to eat. They waited for Todd to show, but it never happened. Starsky helped clean the kitchen and when they were finished they decided to watch television.

The following Monday was Todd's first day at the shop. Starsky was impressed at how well Todd took instruction, and how well he worked with the customers. When Hutch checked in at lunchtime, Starsky couldn't stop raving about Todd and how well he was doing his job. Hutch made the comment that they must have made a good choice asking Todd to work for them. Starsky agreed wholeheartedly. Todd was out front taking a break while Starsky and Hutch talked in the office, and when he heard the door open he got up and started back to work. Hutch came over to where he was and told him that he'd heard Todd was making excellent progress, and to keep up the good work. Todd thanked him and went back to what he was doing. Perplexed, Hutch looked over at Starsky who shrugged his shoulders.

Things were going along smoothly for a while until Hutch started getting jealous. It seemed that all Todd could talk about was Starsky and how funny he was, and how he seemed to be just an all-around great guy. Todd and Starsky were always laughing and talking, making jokes and acting silly. It was all starting to get on Hutch's nerves until one night Hutch confronted Starsky.....

“Starsky, I would like to talk to you in private.....”

“Can it wait, Hutch? There a monster movie marathon coming on and Todd was going to watch it with me.....”

“No, it can't wait, and Todd's not going to be watching anything with you tonight!”

Starsky knew from Hutch's tone and choice of words that this was about his jealousy of Todd. Starsky had a feeling this was coming, he just didn't know when. He turned off the TV and followed Hutch to their bedroom. Todd heard the door at the foot of the stairs slam, and knew something serious was going on. He came in from the back deck and went to his room, shutting the door behind him. He could hear Ken and Dave yelling, and he cringed when he heard his name mentioned more than once. It was obvious that the guys were fighting about him. He couldn't think of anything he'd done wrong, yet the battle was going on. It didn't take long for Todd to decide what to do. He would pack his things and after Ken and Dave left in the morning, he would leave, too. Just the thought of leaving hurt, but in Todd's mind, it was the only thing to do. He quietly packed his things, went to bed, and cried himself to sleep.

The following morning, Todd made breakfast as usual. The atmosphere was icy, and Ken and Dave were barely speaking to each other. Todd decided to speak up, saying that he knew what the guys were fighting about the night before, and that Ken was wrong about Starsky wanting Todd or vice versa. He went on to say that Ken could think what he wanted, but he was wrong about he and Dave. The guys left for work without saying anything, and after Todd cleaned the kitchen for the last time, he called a cab and headed for the bus station. That afternoon when they guys got home, Hutch headed to Todd's room to tell him he wanted to talk to him. He knocked but there was no answer so he cracked the door and was shocked to see that all of Todd's things were gone. He went back to the living room, and Starsky asked him what was wrong. Hutch looked over at him and said; “He's gone.....”

“What???”

“All his clothes and everything is gone. He left, Starsk.....”

Starsky walked down the hall to see for himself, and sure enough, everything was gone just as if Todd had never been there. Starsky went back to the living room and told Hutch that he hoped he was satisfied that he'd driven Todd away. He turned and went to the kitchen for a beer, then went out to the back deck. Hutch followed a few minutes later and sat down next to Starsky. When Starsk glanced over, he could see that Hutch was weeping.....

“What is it, babe?”

“Starsk, I was so wrong about Todd, and now he's gone. I need to tell him how sorry I am.....”

“That's gonna be hard to do since we don't know where he went. Hutch, I tried to tell you that you were wrong, but you were so convinced that you wouldn't listen to reason....”

“From now on, I will do my very best to listen to you before I go off half-cocked. God, I wish I could talk to Todd....”

“It's gonna be okay, babe..... just wait and see.....”

The End

Epilogue, one year later:

The guys had had a very hectic day at work. When they arrived home, Starsky collected the mail and took it inside. As he was going through the mail, he found a letter with a P.O. Box # and Miller's Crossing, Texas beneath it. It was addressed to him, so he opened it. It was a letter from Todd that read:  
Dear Dave,  
Just thought I'd drop a few lines to say hello, and to let you know I'm alright. I decided to come back to Miller's Crossing to get myself back together and start fresh. I hope this finds you and Ken doing well and happy. Please let Ken know that I don't hold what happened against him because he was just trying to protect what belongs to him. I'm hoping to get back out to California someday, and would really like to see the two of you, if possible. I must close for now because it's almost time for me to go to work. Write if you can... I'll be looking forward to hearing from you.  
Your friend,  
Todd

Starsky wiped tears from his eyes, and looked up to see Hutch watching him. “Bad news, Starsk?”

“No, babe..... good news for a change.....”

“Who's it from?”

“Read it yourself..... there's something in there for you anyway......


End file.
